Just weeks before the start of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, Senegal has officially opened the Diamniadio–Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) section of the Regional Express Train (TER), providing a major boost to transport preparations for the historic event.

The new rail connection is expected to ease the movement of thousands of athletes, officials, delegates and visitors arriving in Senegal for the Games, which will be held from October 31 to November 13.

The Diamniadio–AIBD section represents the second phase of the TER project and comprises a 19-kilometre double-track electrified railway line, including a new station at the international airport.

For Dakar 2026, the extension provides an additional link to the Games’ transport network. Passengers arriving at AIBD will be able to travel by rail to Diamniadio and continue onward to Dakar.

According to Ibrahima Wade, Coordinator of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, about 30,000 people are accredited for the Games, with approximately 15,000 expected to arrive from outside Senegal.

The new TER service is therefore expected to play an important role in managing the increased passenger traffic during the Games. Organisers have identified smooth transportation from the airport as a key priority for international delegations and participants.

Train services between Dakar and Diamniadio will operate every eight minutes, while the Diamniadio–AIBD section will have trains running every 24 minutes.

The opening of the airport connection complements the wider mobility network being prepared for Dakar 2026, with the government having set September 27 as the target deadline for the line to become operational.

Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly will host the first Olympic sporting event to be staged on African soil, with 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 18 expected to compete across 25 sports.

With the TER now extending to AIBD, Dakar’s main international airport has a direct rail connection to the capital and the Games’ host areas, further strengthening Senegal’s transport infrastructure ahead of the historic Youth Olympic Games.